Field
The present application relates generally to wireless communications, and more specifically to methods and apparatuses for signaling enhanced distributed channel access parameters for subsets of wireless devices.
Background
Communications networks are used to exchange messages among devices. Wireless networks are often preferred when the network elements are mobile and thus have dynamic connectivity needs, or if the network architecture is formed in an ad hoc, rather than fixed, topology. The devices in a wireless network may transmit/receive information based on channel access protocols such as enhanced distributed channel access (EDCA). EDCA defines separate data traffic access categories, which may include best effort, background, video and voice over wireless local access network (WLAN) (VoWLAN). For example, data traffic associated with transmission or reception of emails may be assigned a low priority class, and VoWLAN may be assigned a high priority class. Utilizing EDCA, high-priority data traffic has more opportunity of being sent than a low-priority data traffic because a station with high priority data traffic waits for less time before sending such a data packet, on average, than a station with low priority data traffic.
Rather than setting of EDCA parameters solely based on the type of data traffic, it may be desirable to set EDCA parameters based on grouping of wireless devices having a particular common capability. Subsets of wireless devices may be selected based on capabilities of the wireless devices in a particular group of wireless devices. However, the current signaling techniques described in various Standards associated with the WLAN 802.11 technology needs improvement for allowing communication of different EDCA parameters for different subsets of wireless devices. For example, the current techniques may include broadcast of an multicast address per EDCA subset element (IE), a single IE identification number (ID) and update count within the IE, and which must be reused by all wireless devices. It is difficult or impossible to set separate EDCA parameters for different subsets of wireless devices in the same wireless network. Moreover, if an IE is multicasted to a plurality of specific wireless devices, additional communication of data frames would be required in the IE, as compared to broadcasting. Also, the current signaling techniques are inadequate for defining multicast addresses per subset of wireless devices. As such, methods and apparatus for signaling enhanced distributed channel access parameters for subsets of wireless devices are needed.